1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for covering an outside surface, such as a patio.
More particularly, however, the invention relates to a covering device making it possible to ensure variable protection according to the weather conditions.
Actually, it is significant to be able to adapt the protection based on the angle of the sun or to retract the covering device when the rain has stopped.
2. Description of the Related Art
A first device of the prior art that is commonly used for performing these functions takes the shape of an external awning comprising a cover element that can be rolled up around a roll-up shaft.
Once unrolled, the cover element can be located in a horizontal plane or in a plane that is slightly inclined relative to the horizontal.
This external awning is generally attached along the external façade of the building or the house in front of which the external surface to be covered is located, with the roll-up shaft being held by supports connected to the external façade.
To change the covered surface, the cover element is unrolled or rolled up by electrical drive means or more simply using a crank handle.
According to a first drawback of the devices of the external awning type, the cover element can be retracted only in the direction of the roll-up shaft or within the width of the surface to be covered.
Consequently, it is not possible to cover a distant zone within the width of the external surface without covering the closest zone of the façade and the roll-up shaft of the cover element.
According to another drawback, these devices of the external awning type do not make it possible to adapt the length of the covering element.
Therefore, it is not possible to uncover completely a first part taken within the length of the external surface while keeping the other part covered.
A second device of the prior art making it possible to adapt the protection to the external conditions is described in the French Patent FR-2,935,723.
The covering device described in this document FR-2,935,723 comprises movable flaps that are mounted to rotate around their axes and that are longitudinal and connected in parallel to a carrying frame.
So as to form a cover varying between a closed, airtight, and translucent configuration and an opaque configuration while passing through open and partially opaque configurations, each flap comprises a section made of translucent material extending along a longitudinal axis around which said flap is mounted to rotate and at least one strip made of opaque material mounted to rotate relative to said flap along a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the section.
Although making it possible to better adapt the protection to sunshine conditions by an intermittent arrangement, this second device of the prior art has almost the same drawbacks as the first device of the prior art.
Actually, it also has a protective surface that cannot be modified in terms of length or width.
Consequently, it offers neither the possibility of uncovering completely a zone taken in the width of the covered external surface nor the possibility of uncovering completely a part taken in the length of the external surface to be covered.
In addition, the manufacturing and primarily the mounting of the movable strips in the flaps considerably increase the production costs of this second device, which should nevertheless be sold at competitive prices relative to other outside equipment for adding to a house or a building.
Finally, the documents AT-007,687, EP-1,029,445 and DE-20.2010.015864 describe covering devices in which cover elements taking the shape of panels are mounted to slide in intermediate frames that are juxtaposed but stationary relative to their support frame.
Consequently, and because of the stationary mounting of the intermediate frames, the covering devices described in these documents of the prior art do not make it possible to uncover the external covered surface as much as possible. The purpose of this invention is to remedy the drawbacks of the prior art.